Loose material distributing apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING LOOSE MATERIAL TO AT LEAST ONE DISCHARGE POINT WHICH MAY BE SELECTIVELY POSITIONED RELATIVE TO THE APPARATUS, COMPRISING: FEEDER MEANS ADAPTED TO CONTAIN LOOSE MATERIAL; A CYLINDRICAL MATERIAL CONVEYING TUBE CONNECTED WITH A LOWER PORTION OF SAID FEEDER MEANS AND EXTENDING AWAY THEREFROM; CONVEYOR MEANS FOR MOVING LOOSE MATERIAL FROM SAID FEEDER MEANS THROUGH SAID TUBE TOWARD THE REMOTE END THEREOF; A HOLLOW DROP CHUTE ENCIRCLING SAID TUBE AND INCLUDING TWO END WALLS, SPACED FROM EACH OTHER LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID CHUTE FOR LOCATION ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF AN OUTLET OPENING OF SUBSTANTIAL SIZE CUT FROM THE LOWER SIDE OF SAID TUBE, SAID DROP CHUTE BEING SUPPORTED ON SAID TUBE BY A PAIR OF SEALS ENCIRCLING SAID TUBE AND SEALABLY SUPPORTING SAID RESPECTIVE END WALLS AND IN ENCIRCLING RELATION TO THE TUBE, SAID SEALS BEING SLIDABLE ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE TUBE TO PROVIDE FOR MANUAL DISPLACEMENT OF THE DROP CHUTE ROTATABLY AND LONGITUDINALLY RELATIVE TO THE TUBE TO EMBRACE A DISCHARGE OPENING IN ANY LONGITUDINAL POSITION ALONG THE TUBE, SAID DROP CHUTE DEFINING A SINGLE DISCHARGE OPENING THEREIN, OPENING RADIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID TUBE AND MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH A DISCHARGE OPENING IN THE LOWER SIDE OF SAID TUBE EFFECTIVELY OPENING AND CLOSING THE LATTER WITH ROTATION OF THE CHUTE ABOUT THE TUBE.